DIY guideCountertops

Oil the butcher block

Dry, pale wood soaks up stains and cracks. Sand any rough spots, flood it with food-safe oil, wipe off what it doesn't take, and let it cure.

7 steps

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Drip a little water on it. If it soaks in and darkens the wood, it's dry. If it beads up, it's fine for now.
Wipe it with warm soapy water, rinse it, and let it dry right through, overnight if you can.
Sand rough or stained spots lightly with fine sandpaper, along the grain, then wipe the dust off.
Pour on food-safe mineral oil or board oil and spread it with a clean cloth until the wood looks wet all over.
Never cooking oil: it goes rancid.
Leave it for about twenty minutes, and add more oil wherever it soaks in fast.
Wipe off all the oil it didn't take in, then let it cure overnight before you use it.
Rags with tung or linseed oil can heat up and catch fire: lay them flat outside to dry.
A crack that keeps opening, dark spots that come back after sanding, or wood that's soft near the sink: ask Handyman for a countertop pro.

Handyman says: Cracked? I'll find a countertop pro.

Free for every home. Handyman asks a few questions, then books a pro it trusts.